Players hurting Port coach: Cassisi

Updated May 14, 2012 17:35:58

Port Adelaide players feel responsible for the plight of embattled coach Matthew Primus, according to Power captain Domenic Cassisi.

Primus's position has come under intense scrutiny amid Port's six-game losing streak which continued Sunday with a 40-point defeat to Fremantle.

But Cassisi said Port players, not Primus, were the ones who should be feeling the heat.

"We're all in this together, the players and the coaches," Cassisi said.

"We're bitterly disappointed at not being able to get a win.

"It's pretty hard when you see during the week the pressure he (Primus) was under.

"We do feel a sense of responsibility for that, there is no doubt about that.

"We'd love to get a win for him very soon and hopefully it's on Saturday."

The Power will welcome the likely return of key forward Jay Schulz for this weekend's match against North Melbourne.

Schulz has been out for two matches with an eye injury.

In those matches, Port Adelaide managed only seven goals against the Dockers at Subiaco Oval, and eight the week before against Richmond.

Cassisi said Port players were lacking confidence to follow Primus' instructions to take risks.

"The coach has been really proactive in telling the players to take risks and try and get the ball going our way," he said.

"A little bit has probably got to do with confidence at the moment, guys aren't really trusting their kick and having a go."

Cassisi conceded there was no quick fix to Port's sloppy skills.

"I don't think it's going to be fixed to the level we want overnight," he said.

"But we're going to continue to work on it.

"We matched Fremantle for clearances and tackles and all those things you probably judge effort on.

"But at the end of the day, our skill level really hurt us and they got goals from it."

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, alberton-5014

First posted May 14, 2012 17:35:58

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AFL and players agree to new pay deal

Updated December 16, 2011 09:27:57

After months of wrangling, the AFL has agreed to a new five-year pay deal with the AFL Players Association.

Details of the agreement, understood to be worth at least $1.144 billion, will be revealed at a media conference at 2.00pm (AEDT) on Thursday in the Victorian costal town of Lorne.

Although the deal covers the 2012-16 seasons, it will be reviewed after three years.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia

First posted December 15, 2011 11:12:32

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AFL, players sign off on pay deal

Updated December 16, 2011 08:44:26

AFL players have finally agreed a new pay deal worth over $1 billion with the league for the next five years.

League chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed the new agreement is effectively the same as the $1.144 billion deal rejected by the players earlier this year, with one major concession from the AFL.

The agreement, which runs until the end of the 2016 season, will be formally reviewed after three years, allowing the players to ask for more money if AFL revenues are higher than originally forecast.

The AFL had originally wanted the terms of the deal locked in for the full five years with no mid-agreement review.

Demetriou and AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) chief executive Matt Finnis expressed delight a deal had finally been reached after months of robust negotiations.

The agreement was signed off as AFLPA delegates met at a conference in the Victorian coastal town of Lorne on Thursday.

Demetriou says the deal made AFL players the best-rewarded athletes in Australian sport.

"The deal unequivocally makes AFL the best career choice for aspiring young athletes," he said.

"At times it's been tough and robust negotiations but the outcome is a very good one for the game."

AFLPA president and Greater Western Sydney midfielder Luke Power says the deal is testament to the players sticking to their beliefs and "holding the line" despite the tough negotiations, much of which were played out in the court of public opinion.

"Not one player wasn't happy to be able to go back to their club and their players and tell them that we'd reached a deal that not only satisfied what our objectives were, but didn't compromise any of our values," Power said.

Finnis says player strike action was never formally threatened during the negotiations, as had been rumoured at times.

"Neither party have sought to conduct negotiations where you try to hold a gun to someone's head," Finnis said.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia

First posted December 15, 2011 14:54:29

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Power players come to blows

Updated December 07, 2011 16:59:13

Port Adelaide players Jay Schulz and Jackson Trengove had to be separated after punches were thrown during an AFL training session on Wednesday.

Key defender Trengove seemed to be upset by the way Schulz entered a marking contest and threw two punches at Schulz, which both missed their mark.

Team-mates including skipper Dom Cassisi rushed to separate the pair, who are both in Port's leadership group.

The skirmish was an eye-opener for Port's new draftees Nathan Blee and Brendon Ah Chee, but they liked what they saw.

"It shows how passionate and competitive they are and how much everyone wants success next year," 21-year-old defender Blee said.

"I think it's good for the club."

"It was definitely a positive," Ah Chee told reporters.

"Afterwards everything was fine with them, it's not like they're hating on each other or anything - they're good mates."

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, port-adelaide-5015, sa, australia

First posted December 07, 2011 16:59:13

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Bomber players suspended for six weeks

By Kristy O'Brien

Updated December 02, 2011 13:08:52

The Chairman of the Tiwi Bombers says four players have been suspended until January for disciplinary reasons.

Ephrem Tipungwuti, Roy Kantilla, Samson Mungatopi and Nathan Pilakui will miss all games for the next two months.

The Chairman, Alan McGill, says all players were told at training last night.

He says the team supports the decision.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, darwin-0800

First posted December 02, 2011 13:06:03

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Hird drops five players for Roos clash

Updated June 16, 2011 18:51:00

Essendon coach James Hird has dropped five players including three of his former team-mates in a savage response to the club's three-game losing streak.

The eighth-placed Bombers have not won a game since May 14 and face North Melbourne in a crucial round-13 encounter on Saturday at Docklands.

Travis Colyer, Andrew Welsh, Henry Slattery, Alex Browne and David Hille have all been dumped following Essendon's 34-point loss to Fremantle.

Tayte Pears, Brent Stanton, Sam Lonergan, big man Tom Bellchambers and midfield tagger Heath Hocking, back from suspension, come into the side.

First-year coach Hird is yet to settle on his preferred ruck combination.

Bellchambers is back after being dropped in round 11 and replaces 2008 club champion Hille.

Welsh, Slattery and Hille all played alongside Hird at Essendon in 2007.

The 12th-placed Kangaroos have regained defender Nathan Grima and also recalled Sam Wright for Ben Speight and key forward Lachie Hansen, who has concussion.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, who is under fierce pressure to hold his job for the rest of the season, has been boosted by the return of Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney from a knee injury.

The 13th-placed Bulldogs host Adelaide at Docklands on Friday night.

Former All-Australian Lindsay Gilbee is back after being dumped two weeks ago and Jayden Schofield makes his debut.

Adelaide has dropped James Sellar and Brent Reilly is out with a knee injury.

Unbeaten Geelong have recalled wingman David Wojcinski for star midfielder Joel Selwood who has been suspended for four weeks.

The Cats play St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday night where the Saints will regain Jason Blake and champion midfielder Leigh Montagna.

Hawthorn's Brent Guerra, who suffered a perforated ear drum after being struck by Selwood last weekend, will miss Saturday's game in Launceston against Gold Coast.

The injury-hit Hawks have lost big man Jarryd Roughead for the season with a ruptured Achilles, while Clinton Young (hamstring) and ruckman Brent Renouf (internal bruising) have also been left out.

Ruckmen David Hale and Max Bailey are among four inclusions for the Hawks.

Vice-captain Jed Adcock is out of Brisbane's team to play Richmond at the Gabba on Saturday night because of finger surgery.

The Tigers have left out injured duo David Astbury (knee) and Jake Batchelor (general soreness) and omitted Matt White.

Richmond included Luke McGuane, Jayden Post and Jeromey Webberley.

Third-placed Carlton have named utility Ryan Houlihan in a seven-man bench for Sunday's massive clash with Sydney at Docklands.

The fifth-placed Swans regain ruckman Shane Mumford from a knee injury.

Sixth-placed West Coast have omitted Chris Masten for Sunday's home game against Port Adelaide who are set to regain skipper Domenic Cassisi for his first game since round two.

Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow will play his first AFL game of the year after recovering from a broken leg. The seventh-placed Dockers play Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, qld, brisbane-4000, sa, adelaide-5000, vic, essendon-3040, fitzroy-3065, geelong-3220, melbourne-3000, north-melbourne-3051, richmond-3121, st-kilda-3182

First posted June 16, 2011 18:39:00

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AFL targets NRL players

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Broadcast: 05/06/2011

Reporter: Barrie Cassidy

Karmichael Hunt's debut goal for the Gold Coast Suns has highlighted the issue of players being targetted to switch codes.

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Cash crisis affecting Port players

Posted June 3, 2011 14:47:00

Port Adelaide players are worried about the AFL club's cash crisis but money cannot buy happiness at the debt-ridden entity, coach Matthew Primus says.

The AFL will soon detail a multi-million dollar rescue package to ensure the Power survive for the next three years.

Port's licence holder, the SANFL, this week said it could no longer afford to keep bailing out the club.

The AFL will insist most of rescue package funds flow to Port's football department, which is running at league-low levels about $6 million less than Collingwood.

The financial crisis sparked fears Port - second-last on the ladder with only two wins - could lose out-of-contract players such as Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile to cashed-up rivals.

But while conceding money spoke, Primus was not fazed at opposition clubs circling his stars.

"I'm not really concerned about it. What I'm concerned about is building a club here that has a great culture," Primus said.

"In the end, even though the circumstances of what is happening in AFL footy is changing with free agency and those sorts of things, I think still the camaraderie and the bond your playing group has is the biggest thing to keep your players at the club.

"And that is what we are working towards. If you're really strong in that regard, you give yourself the best opportunity of keeping your players."

Primus said Port players understood the predicament of their club, saying "I'm sure individually they are worried.

"Things could be better, no doubt about that," he said.

"But we understand where we are going and the support we have from the AFL and the SANFL.

"They (players) understand the predicament our club is in and they have an onus on them, to some degree, to play some very good football and to engage as well as we can with our fans and our sponsors."

Primus said Port and other clubs would face additional obstacles when the AFL introduced free agency at the end of next season.

"But we're very confident that we can battle through that," he said.

"And if our playing group are as tight as they are at the moment, considering what they have been through the last couple of months, we think that will hold us in pretty good stead.

"And in the end, that is the biggest thing in football.

"Money does speak, we're aware of that.

"But what speaks more than that is a love for the club and your love for playing with your mates.

"I think that is the biggest thing we can hang onto, and what I really see is this playing group have got it in spades."

-AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sa, port-adelaide-5015

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Port players have faith

Expires:Tuesday, August 30, 2011 11:25

Players from cash-strapped Port Adelaide Football Club say they are confident management and coaching staff will help steer them to a brighter future.

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Tags: australian-football-league, sa, adelaide-5000, port-adelaide-5015

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North players joined 'Brocial Network'

Posted May 21, 2011 08:17:00

North Melbourne says six of its players were members of the controversial Facebook group The Brocial Network, which shared photos of women online without their knowledge.

The Kangaroos say players Jack Ziebell and Robbie Tarrant were part of The Brocial Network, which has reportedly been disbanded, and added four other players to the group without their consent.

The club says none of the players posted any photos or comments.

In a statement the club said it accepted that Ziebell and Tarrant "were not fully aware of the group's offensive nature or purpose" when they added the other players.

It says all six players removed themselves from the group.

North Melbourne says it finds the group inappropriate and offensive.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000, north-melbourne-3051

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Craig denies he's lost support of players

Posted May 10, 2011 13:20:00

Adelaide coach Neil Craig denies he has "lost" his players in the wake of their 96-point AFL drubbing by Melbourne.

The Crows languish in 12th spot with two wins for the season and further injury concerns heading into a home match against Gold Coast on Saturday.

Asked if he had lost his players, Craig said: "Not at all.

"As a coach, you always ask that question," he told Adelaide radio station 5AA.

"But this playing group, no.

"Have I asked the question? Absolutely - of course you do.

"You sort of ask that after every loss.

"But I'm really confident that I know where this playing group is going."

Main midfielder Scott Thompson is battling a calf injury while fellow onballer Patrick Dangerfield was concussed during a loss to the Demons which Craig described as "one of our worst efforts for many years".

The defeat was Adelaide's heaviest since 2004 when walloped by 141 points by Brisbane, four games after Craig was appointed caretaker coach.

The Melbourne thrashing, coming a week after Adelaide's fighting win over last year's beaten grand finalist St Kilda, puzzled Craig.

"It would be lovely to know the answer," he said.

"I guess the key thing for us was it was pretty much through the whole group.

"That is probably of one our worst performances for many years and I certainly didn't see it coming ... the players are bitterly disappointed with what we served up on the weekend.

"Our challenge now is to get back and try and recapture some of the form we have been able to demonstrate this year."

-AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, adelaide-5000

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Panthers thrashed while 7 players attend wedding

By Paul Robinson

Posted April 11, 2011 14:00:00

The Rockhampton Panthers have recorded one of the biggest losses on record in central Queensland's AFL Capricornia competition, against Boyne Island Tannum Sands.

The Saints kicked 43-14-272 to the Panthers 3-1-19.

John Beirouti kicked 20 goals for Boyne Island with 13 to Adam Rakip.

Panthers assistant coach Rob Taylor says seven of their best players missed the game to attend a wedding.

"A lot of the guys that have played football together for the Panthers football club for a lot of years and they're the mainstay of our football club," he said.

"But we're not offering an excuse.

"We brought a lot of under 17 players up and gave them a run.

"They got knocked off the ball fairly easy because their bodies weren't - they're not fully grown men yet and obviously they were playing experienced and talented footballers from Boyne Island."

In the other games, Glenmore beat the Gladstone Mudcrabs by five goals and the Yeppoon Swans defeated Brothers Kangaroos by 21 points.

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